Accessory mounting apparatus for a vehicle

ABSTRACT

An accessory mounting apparatus is provided for coupling to a vehicle roll bar. The accessory mounting apparatus illustratively includes a driver side clamping device configured to be secured to a driver side upright of the roll bar, and a passenger side clamping device configured to be secured to the passenger side upright of the roll bar. Protective sleeves cooperate with the clamping devices to protect the roll bar from damaging contact therewith. A laterally extending cross member extends between the driver side clamping device and the passenger side clamping device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/180,906, filed Jul. 12, 2011,which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/429,080, filed Dec. 31, 2010,the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated by reference herein.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

The invention described herein was made in the performance of officialduties by employees of the Department of the Navy and may bemanufactured, used and licensed by or for the United States Governmentfor any governmental purpose without payment of any royalties thereon.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to an accessory mountingapparatus for a vehicle and, more particularly, to an accessory mountingapparatus operably coupled to laterally spaced uprights of a vehicleroll bar.

Vehicles, such as all terrain vehicles (ATVs), are used for a variety ofapplications in rugged conditions. Depending upon the use of thevehicle, the operator may desire to have different accessories (such ascameras, surveying equipment, illumination devices, weapons, etc.)supported by the vehicle. A typical area of support is the roll bar ofthe vehicle. However, conventional roll bar mounting arrangements oftenpinch and deform the roll bar during installation and operation. Assuch, the integrity of the roll bar may be degraded, and the stabilityof the accessory may be reduced.

Accordingly, an accessory mounting apparatus for a vehicle roll bar thatprotects the integrity of the roll bar during installation and operationwhile providing enhanced stability of the accessory is desired.

According to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, amounting apparatus for a vehicle roll bar includes a pintle forrotatably supporting an accessory, and a bracket coupled to the pintle.A first clamping device includes first and second gripping members,having arcuate inner surfaces configured to be positioned on opposingsides of a first upright of a vehicle roll bar. The gripping members areoperably coupled to the bracket. A protective sleeve is received betweenthe first and second gripping members and provides a bearing surfaceagainst the roll bar.

According to a further illustrative embodiment of the presentdisclosure, a mounting apparatus for a vehicle roll bar includes a firstclamping device having first and second gripping members with innerarcuate surfaces configured to be positioned on opposing sides of afirst upright of a vehicle roll bar. A first protective sleeve isreceived within the gripping members and provides a bearing surfaceagainst the first upright of the vehicle roll bar. An accessory mount isoperably coupled to the first clamping device and is configured tosupport an accessory. A second clamping device includes first and secondgripping members with inner arcuate surfaces configured to be positionedon opposing sides of a second upright of the vehicle roll bar. A secondprotective sleeve is received within the gripping members of the secondclamping device and provides a bearing surface against the secondupright of the vehicle roll bar. A cross member includes a first endoperably coupled to the first clamping device, and a second end operablycoupled to the second clamping device, and an adjustment deviceconfigured to move the first end relative to the second end.

According to another illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure,a method of installing an accessory mount on a vehicle includes thesteps of providing a roll bar including laterally spaced first andsecond uprights, fitting a first protective sleeve over the firstupright, and clamping opposing first and second gripping members of afirst clamping device around the first protective sleeve. The methodfurther includes the steps of supporting a pintle from the firstclamping device, and rotatably coupling an accessory to the pintle.

According to a further illustrative embodiment of the presentdisclosure, a method of installing an accessory mount on a vehicleincludes the steps of providing a roll bar including a driver sideupright and a passenger side upright, snap fitting a driver sideprotective sleeve over the driver side upright, and coupling togetherinner and outer clamping plates of a driver side clamping device by afastener such that inner and outer gripping members secure the driverside protective sleeve to the driver side upright. The method furtherincludes the steps of supporting a laterally extending driver sideportion of a cross member by the driver side clamping device, slidablycoupling a passenger side portion of the cross member with the driverside portion of the cross member, adjusting the relative position ofopposing ends of the cross member, and securing the passenger sideportion of the cross member relative to the driver side portion of thecross member. The method also includes the steps of snap fitting apassenger side protective sleeve over the passenger side upright,coupling the passenger side portion of the cross member to a passengerside clamping device, coupling together inner and outer clamping platesof the passenger side clamping device by a fastener such that inner andouter gripping members secure the passenger side protective sleeve tothe passenger side upright. The method also includes the step ofcoupling an accessory to a mount supported by the passenger sideclamping device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of thisinvention will become more readily appreciated as the same become betterunderstood by reference to the following detailed description when takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an illustrative accessory mountingapparatus coupled to a vehicle roll bar;

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the accessory mounting apparatus ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the accessory mounting apparatusof FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the passenger side clampingdevice of the accessory mounting apparatus of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the driver side clampingdevice of the accessory mounting apparatus of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 7 is a partially exploded bottom perspective view of the accessorymounting apparatus of FIG. 2.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several views. Although the drawings representembodiments of various features and components according to the presentdisclosure, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certainfeatures may be exaggerated in order to better illustrate and explainthe present disclosure. The exemplification set out herein illustratesembodiments of the invention, and such exemplifications are not to beconstrued as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of theinvention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated inthe drawings, which are described below. The embodiments disclosed beloware not intended to be exhaustive or limit the invention to the preciseform disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, theembodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the artmay utilize their teachings. It will be understood that no limitation ofthe scope of the invention is thereby intended. The invention includesany alterations and further modifications in the illustrated devices anddescribed methods and further applications of the principles of theinvention which would normally occur to one skilled in the art to whichthe invention relates.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, an accessory mounting apparatus 10according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure isshown coupled to a vehicle, such as an all terrain vehicle (ATV) 12including a laterally extending roll bar 14 to protect occupants in apassenger portion 15 of the vehicle 12. The roll bar 14 may be ofconventional design and includes a hollow cylindrical tube(illustratively steel) formed to have an upwardly extending first orpassenger side upright 16, an upwardly extending second or driver sideupright 18, and an upper connecting member 20.

The accessory mounting apparatus 10 illustratively extends laterallybetween passenger side upright 16 of a roll bar 14 and driver sideupright 18 of the roll bar 14. The accessory mounting apparatus 10 maysupport a variety of different accessories 22 for use by occupants inthe passenger portion 15 of the vehicle 12. While in the illustrativeembodiment, accessory 22 is shown as a machine gun, it should beappreciated that other commonly used accessories may be substitutedtherefor, such as cameras, surveying equipment, and illuminationdevices.

With reference now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the accessory mounting apparatus 10includes a first or passenger side clamping device 24 configured tooperably couple to the passenger side upright 16, and a second or driverside clamping device 26 configured to operably couple to the driver sideupright 18. A cross member 28 extends laterally between the passengerside clamping device 24 and the driver side clamping device 26.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the passenger side clamping device 24includes a inner or first gripping member 30 and an opposing outer orsecond gripping member 32. Illustratively, each gripping member 30 and32 is formed by cooperating portions 30 a, 30 b and 32 a, 32 b havingarcuate inner surfaces 34 a, 34 b and 36 a, 36 b, respectively. Moreparticularly, the first gripping member 30 may be collectively formed offront portion 30 a and rear portion 30 b, while the second grippermember 32 may be collectively formed of first portion 32 a and secondportion 32 b. In other illustrative embodiments, the first and secondgripping members 30 and 32 may be formed as a single integral componentdefining the inner arcuate surfaces 34 and 36, respectively.

The arcuate inner surfaces 34 a, 34 b and 36 a, 36 b of the grippingmembers 30 and 32 are configured to be positioned on opposing sides ofthe passenger side upright 16. The gripping members 30 and 32 areillustratively formed of a high strength fatigue resistant metal.Illustratively, the gripping members 30 and 32 are formed of 6061aluminum to provide sufficient strength while being relatively lightweight. Illustratively, the gripping members 30 and 32 are configured tobe removed and replaced, by using common tools, with similar grippingmembers 30 and 32 having dimensions compatible with a larger or smallerdiameter upright 16 of roll bar 14.

A first or passenger side protective sleeve 40 is concentricallyreceived over the passenger side upright 16 of roll bar 14 and ispositioned within the arcuate surfaces 34, 36 of the gripping members30, 32. The sleeve 40 includes a substantially cylindrical side wall 41having a longitudinally extending slot 42. Illustratively, the side wall41 is defined by inwardly biased first and second portions or arms 44 a,44 b. The arms 44 a, 44 b of the protective sleeve 40 are configured toconform to the curvature of the inner surfaces 34 and 36 of the grippingmembers 30 and 32 to provide an inner bearing surface against the rollbar 14. As such, the protective sleeve 40 provides an insulator betweenthe gripping members 30, 32 and the roll bar 14 to prevent potentiallydamaging contact therebetween. Illustratively, the protective sleeve 40includes a side wall 41 formed of a polymer, such as a polyoxymethylene(POM), and having a thickness of about 0.125 inches. In one illustrativeembodiment, the protective sleeve 40 is formed of Delrin®, availablefrom DuPont Engineering Polymers of Wilmington, Del. As may beappreciated, the protective sleeve 40 is dimensioned to cooperate withthe gripping members 30, 32.

The inner gripping member 30 is operably coupled to an inner or firstclamping plate 50, while the outer gripping member 32 is operablycoupled to an outer or second clamping plate 52. In the illustrativeembodiment, the gripping members 30 and 32 are secured to the clampingplates 50 and 52 through conventional fasteners 54. Other coupling meansmay be substituted therefor, including welding and/or adhesives.However, the use of fasteners 54 provides for reduced inspection costsand facilitates the joining of unlike materials as compared to a weldeddesign.

As shown in FIG. 5, the clamping plates 50 and 52 each have anasymmetrical shape including an angled leading edge 53 and 55,respectively. The angled leading edges 53 and 55 are configured toprovide additional clearance proximate the lower ends of roll baruprights 16 and 18 for mounting of additional accessories and/orwindshield brackets (not shown). To accommodate the irregular shape ofthe clamping plates 50, 52, each front portion 30 a, 32 a of grippingmembers 30, 32 is illustratively shorter than its cooperating rearportion 30 b, 32 b. Illustratively, clamping plates 50 and 52 may beformed of metal, such as 6061 aluminum or C1018 steel.

A laterally inwardly extending cylindrical sleeve 56 is supported by theouter clamping plate 52. An opening 58 is formed within the innerclamping plate 50 and is configured to receive the sleeve 56 of theouter clamping plate 52.

A mount 60, including a bracket 62 and a pintle 64, is operably coupledto the outer clamping plate 52. Illustratively, the bracket 62 is formedfrom a high strength fatigue resistant aluminum (e.g., 7075-T6 aluminum)in order to provide for weight savings while providing sufficientstrength. Conventional fasteners 66 may be used to secure the bracket 62to a lower end of the outer clamping plate 52. The use of conventionalfasteners 66 to couple the bracket 62 to the outer clamping plate 52reduces inspection costs as compared to a welded design.

The pintle 64 includes a cylindrical shaft 68 coupled to the bracket 62and extending upwardly therefrom. More particularly, a lower end of theshaft 68 is received within an opening 67 in the bracket 62. A key 69may be provided to locate and/or rotatably secure the pintle 64 relativeto the bracket 62. Illustratively, the pintle 64 is made from a highstrength fatigue gall-resistant stainless steel (e.g., Nitronic® 60stainless steel). The pintle 64 may be of conventional design forrotatably supporting an accessory coupled therewith.

The inner clamping plate 50 is operably coupled to the outer clampingplate 52 through a plurality of adjustable couplers 70. Illustratively,the couplers 70 each include a bolt 72 passing through a washer 74 andthreadably received within a nut 76. When installed on the passengerside upright 16, the inner and outer clamping plates 50 and 52 areforced towards each other by the couplers 70. In turn, the grippingmembers 30 and 32 compress the protective sleeve 40 around the upright16. In the illustrative embodiment, the sleeve 40 has an inner diameterof about 2 inches when in a relaxed mode (i.e., no external forcesapplied), and an inner diameter of about 1.65 inches when compressedaround the upright 16 by the passenger side clamping device 24.

The driver side clamping device 26 includes similar features to thepassenger side clamping device 24. For example, the driver side clampingdevice 26 includes a inner or first gripping member 80 and an opposingouter or second gripping member 82. Illustratively, each gripping member80 and 82 is formed by cooperating portions 80 a, 80 b and 82 a, 82 bhaving arcuate inner surfaces 84 a, 84 b and 86 a, 86 b, respectively.More particularly, the first gripping member 80 may be collectivelyformed of front portion 80 a and rear portion 80 b, while the secondgripper member 82 may be collectively formed of first portion 82 a andsecond portion 82 b. In other illustrative embodiments, the first andsecond gripping members 80 and 82 may be formed as a single integralcomponent defining the inner arcuate surfaces 84 and 86, respectively.

The arcuate inner surfaces 84 a, 84 b and 86 a, 86 b of the grippingmembers 80 and 82 are configured to be positioned on opposing sides ofthe driver side upright 18. The gripping members 80 and 82 areillustratively formed of a high strength fatigue resistant metal, suchas 6061 aluminum. Illustratively, the gripping members 80 and 82 areconfigured to be removed and replaced, by using common tools, withsimilar gripping members 80 and 82 having diameters compatible with alarger or smaller diameter upright 18 of roll bar 14.

A second or driver side protective sleeve 90 is concentrically receivedwithin the gripping members 80 and 82 and may be identical to thepassenger side protective sleeve 40 as detailed above. Moreparticularly, the passenger side protective sleeve 90 is concentricallyreceived over the driver side upright 18 of roll bar 14 and ispositioned within the arcuate surfaces 84, 86 of the gripping members80, 82. The sleeve 90 includes a substantially cylindrical side wall 91having a longitudinally extending slot 92. Illustratively, the side wall91 is defined by inwardly biased first and second portions or arms 94 a,94 b. The arms 94 a, 94 b of the protective sleeve 90 are configured toconform to the curvature of the inner surfaces 84 and 86 of the grippingmembers 80 and 82 to provide an inner bearing surface against the rollbar 14. As such, the protective sleeve 90 provides an insulator betweenthe gripping members 80, 82 and the roll bar 14 to prevent potentiallydamaging contact therebetween. As may be appreciated, the protectivesleeve 90 is dimensioned to cooperate with the gripping members 80, 82.

The inner gripping member 80 is operably coupled to an inner or firstclamping plate 100, while the outer gripping member 82 is operablycoupled to an outer or second clamping plate 102. In the illustrativeembodiment, the gripping members 80 and 82 are secured to the clampingplates 100 and 102 through conventional fasteners 54. To accommodate theirregular shape of the clamping plates 100, 102, and more particularlyangled leading edges 103 and 105, respectively, each front portion 80 a,82 a of gripping members 80, 82 is illustratively shorter than itscooperating rear portion 80 b, 82 b. Illustratively, clamping plates 100and 102 may be formed of metal, such as 6061 aluminum or C1018 steel.

The inner clamping plate 100 is operably coupled to the outer clampingplate 102 through a plurality of adjustable couplers 70. As detailedabove, the couplers 70 each illustratively include a bolt 72 passingthrough a washer 74 and threadably received within a nut 76. Wheninstalled on the driver side upright 18, the inner and outer clampingplates 100 and 102 are forced towards each other by the couplers 70. Inturn, the gripping members 80 and 82 compress the protective sleeve 90around the upright 18.

In certain illustrative embodiments, the driver side clamping device 26may include a mount similar to mount 60 of the passenger side clampingdevice 24. For example, driver side clamping device 26 may include amirror image of mount 60 for supporting driver accessible hardware oraccessories.

A first or driver side portion 106 of the cross member 28 is coupled tothe outer clamping plate 102. Illustratively, the driver side portion106 comprises a longitudinally extending cylindrical sleeve having areceiving chamber 107. The driver side portion 106 extends through anopening 108 in the inner clamping plate 100. A second or passenger sideportion 110 of the cross member 28 includes a first end slidablyreceived within the chamber 107 of the driver side portion 106 of crossmember 28. A second end of the passenger side portion 110 of the crossmember 28 is slidably received within the sleeve 56 of the passengerside clamping device 124.

A pair of openings 112 is formed in the driver side portion 106 andextends perpendicular to chamber 107. Similarly, a plurality of openings115 extend through the passenger side portion 110 and are selectivelyalignable with openings 112 of the driver side portion 106. A pair ofbolts 114 pass through openings 112 and 115 to secure the first andsecond portions 106 and 110 of the cross member 28 relative to eachother. The bolts 114 illustratively pass through washers 116 and arethreadably coupled to nuts 118.

As noted above, the driver side portion 106 of the cross member 28 isconfigured to slidably receive the passenger side portion 110. Theplurality of openings 115 in the passenger side portion 110 areconfigured to selectively align with the openings 112 formed in thedriver side portion 106 and secured in position by the bolts 114. Inother words, the driver side portion 106 slidably receives in atelescoping manner the passenger side portion 110 to provide anadjustment device 120 of the cross member 28. More particularly, theadjustment device 120 permits a first end 122 of the cross member 28 tobe adjusted relative to a second end 124 of the cross member 28. Thebolts 114 received within the aligned openings 112 and 115 of therespective cross member portions 106 and 110 define a locking device 126to secure the relative position of the portions 106 and 110, andtherefore the first end 122 of the cross member 28 relative to thesecond end 124 of the cross member 28.

A handle 130 may be positioned intermediate the first and second ends122 and 124 of the cross member 28. The handle 130 is configured for useby a vehicle occupant to stabilize him during operation of the accessory22, particularly when the vehicle 12 is moving.

With further reference to FIG. 1, the mount 60 is configured torotatably support accessory 22. In the illustrative embodiment, a swingarm 140 is supported by the pintle 64 of mount 60 and includes first andsecond arms 142 and 144, respectively. A first end 146 of the swing arm140 is coupled to the pintle 64 to facilitate rotation of the first arm142 about a first vertical axis 152. The swing arm 140 includes a secondend 148 supporting the accessory 22 for rotation about a second verticalaxis 154. An intermediate pivot joint 150 is provided between the firstend 146 and the second end 148 and is configured to provide forrotational movement of the first arm 142 relative to the second arm 144about a third vertical axis 156.

A cradle 158 is illustratively supported by the second end 148 of theswing arm 140 for rotation about the second vertical axis 154. In oneillustrative embodiment, the cradle 158 is supported for pivotingmovement about a horizontal axis 160. Illustratively, the cradle 158 maybe configured to support a 7.62 mm machine gun 162. In one illustrativeembodiment, the swing arm 140 is an SA4 swing arm and the cradle 158 isan H24-6 machine gun mount.

In the illustrative embodiment, the accessory mounting apparatus 10 iscapable of sustaining anticipated forces without yielding of componentsof the mounting apparatus 10 or roll bar 14. More particularly, themount 60 coupled to the passenger side clamping device 24 is configuredto withstand without yielding an approximately 639 lb. recoil force andan approximately 180 lb. vertical force on a moment arm of about 36inches.

With reference now to FIGS. 1 and 7, installation of the accessorymounting apparatus 10 will be further detailed. An illustrativeinstallation method includes the steps of providing the roll bar 14 withlaterally spaced passenger side and driver side uprights 16 and 18,respectively. The driver side protective sleeve 90 is snap fit over thedriver side upright 18. More particularly, the slot 92 of the driverside protective sleeve 90 is passed over the driver side upright 18 suchthat the opposing portions 94 a, 94 b of the sleeve 90 bias inwardlytoward each other after passing over the circumference of the upright 18and snap into position. The inner and outer clamping plates 100 and 102supporting the inner and outer gripping members 80 and 82 are thensecured together using the couplers 70. The second portion 110 of thecross member 28 is then slidably received within the first portion 106of the cross member 28. The second and first portions 110 and 106 arethen adjusted such that the first and second ends 122 and 124 arepositioned with the appropriate spacing for the uprights 16 and 18 ofthe vehicle roll bar 14.

The bolts 114 are then used to secure the second portion 110 of thecross member relative to the first portion 106. The passenger sideprotective sleeve 40 is then snap fit over the passenger side upright16. Again, the slot 42 of the passenger side protective sleeve 40 ispassed over the passenger side upright 16 such that the opposingportions 44 a and 44 b are biased over the circumference of the upright16 and snap into position. The inner clamping plate 50 is then slid overthe second portion 110 of the cross member 28 while the sleeve 56 of theouter clamping plate 52 receives the second end 124 of the cross member28. The inner and outer clamping plates 50 and 52 supporting the innerand outer gripping members 30 and 32 are then secured together using thecouplers 70. The bolts 72 for both the driver side clamping device 26and the passenger side clamping device 24 are then torqued to specifiedvalues to secure them to the roll bar 14. The torque values areillustratively those recommended for the selected fastener grade andsize.

Now that the accessory mounting apparatus is secured to the vehicle rollbar 14, the accessory 22 may be mounted in position. The first end 146of the swing arm 140 is coupled to the pintle 64. Next, cradle 158 isrotatably coupled to second end 148 of the swing arm 140. Machine gun162 may then be secured to the cradle 158 which, as noted above, issupported for pivoting movement about horizontal axis 160.

While this invention has been described as having an exemplary design,the present invention may be further modified within the spirit andscope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended tocover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using itsgeneral principles. Further, this application is intended to cover suchdepartures from the present disclosure as come within known or customarypractice in the art to which this invention pertains.

1-19. (canceled)
 20. A method of installing an accessory mount on avehicle, the method comprising the steps of: providing a roll barincluding laterally spaced first and second uprights; fitting a firstprotective sleeve over the first upright; clamping opposing first andsecond gripping members of a first clamping device around the firstprotective sleeve; supporting a pintle from the first clamping device;and rotatably coupling an accessory to the pintle.
 21. The method ofclaim 20, wherein the step of fitting the first protective sleeveincludes passing the first upright through a slot formed betweenopposing portions of the first protective sleeve, the opposing portionsbeing biased towards each other toward the slot.
 22. The method of claim20, wherein the step of clamping opposing first and second grippingmembers includes the steps of coupling a first clamping plate to thefirst gripping member, coupling a second clamping plate to the secondgripping member, and tightening a fastener extending between the firstclamping plate and the second clamping plate to force the first grippingmember toward the second gripping member.
 23. The method of claim 20,wherein the step of rotatably coupling an accessory includes the stepsof rotatably coupling a first end of a swing arm to the pintle, androtatably coupling the accessory to a second end of the swing arm. 24.The method of claim 23, wherein the step of rotatably coupling anaccessory further includes the step of rotatably coupling a cradle tothe second end of the swing arm, and coupling a machine gun to thecradle.
 25. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:fitting a second protective sleeve over the second upright; clampingopposing first and second gripping members of a second clamping devicearound the second protective sleeve; and supporting a cross memberbetween the first and second clamping devices.
 26. The method of claim25, further comprising the steps of adjusting the relative position of afirst end of the cross member relative to a second end of the crossmember, and securing the adjusted position of the first end relative tothe second end.
 27. A method of installing an accessory mount on avehicle, the method comprising the steps of: providing a roll barincluding a driver side upright and a passenger side upright; snapfitting a driver side protective sleeve over the driver side upright;coupling together inner and outer clamping plates of a driver sideclamping device by a fastener such that inner and outer gripping memberssecure the driver side protective sleeve to the driver side upright;supporting a laterally extending driver side portion of a cross memberby the driver side clamping device; slidably coupling a passenger sideportion of the cross member with the driver side portion of the crossmember; adjusting the relative position of opposing ends of the crossmember; securing the passenger side portion of the cross member relativeto the driver side portion of the cross member; snap fitting a passengerside protective sleeve over the passenger side upright; coupling thepassenger side portion of the cross member to a passenger side clampingdevice; coupling together inner and outer clamping plates of thepassenger side clamping device by a fastener such that inner and outergripping members secure the passenger side protective sleeve to thepassenger side upright; and coupling an accessory to a mount supportedby the passenger side clamping device.
 28. The method of claim 27,wherein: the step of snap fitting the driver side protective sleeveincludes passing the driver side upright through a slot formed betweenopposing portions of the driver side protective sleeve; and the step ofsnap fitting the passenger side protective sleeve includes passing thepassenger side upright through a slot formed between opposing portionsof the passenger side protective sleeve.
 29. The method of claim 27,wherein the step of coupling an accessory includes the steps ofrotatably coupling a first end of a swing arm to the mount, androtatably coupling the accessory to a second end of the swing arm. 30.The method of claim 29, wherein the step of coupling an accessoryfurther includes the step of rotatably coupling a cradle to the secondend of the swing arm, and coupling a machine gun to the cradle.